Arch Scientists Use 'BORG' Peptides to Improve Biocompatibilty of Polysulfone for Use in Dialysis

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 23, 2015) - Arch Biopartners Inc (Arch) or (the Company)(TSX VENTURE:ACH) (OTCBB:FOIFF) announced today that Arch scientists have published details of their new technology and its potential applications in the area of dialysis.

Arch scientists Daniel Muruve, Randall Irvin and Elisabeth Davis have successfully applied proprietary Arch peptides to the surface of polysulfone to make it more compatible with the human blood. Polysulfone is a common polymer used in the manufacturing of dialysis membranes.

The exposure of blood to polysulfone during dialysis triggers leukocyte activation and protein absorption that contribute to blood clotting and inflammation. The Arch team has developed a single step, post manufacturing method for modifying the surface of polysulfone and other materials used for dialysis. The resulting, new biomaterial reduces the surface absorption of proteins and leukocyte activation and has potential benefit for patients undergoing dialysis or those using other bio-incompatible medical devices.

Details of these findings are reported in the ASAIO Journal. The publication, titled "Peptide-mediated PEGylation of polysulfone reduces protein absorption and leukocyte activation" by Davis, Platnich, Irvin and Muruve can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26181712 until it is assigned to a specific issue of the journal.

Arch plans to advance the technology further by developing a clinical prototype and producing efficacy data in-vivo, and eventually with patients in dialysis clinics.

"The data produced by our scientists shows the potential to solve a major complication for patients in dialysis treatment, and validates our BORG Peptide platform in medical devices. It adds to our growing pipeline, which includes MetaMx and ABP569" said Andrew Bishop, a director of Arch.

Dialysis and End-Stage Kidney Disease

Patients with end-stage kidney disease require life sustaining dialysis treatments. Patients on dialysis experience significant complications not only from their disease but also related to the dialysis procedure itself. Hemodialysis involves the filtering of patient's blood to remove toxins and electrolytes that accumulate as a result of kidney failure. Specialized pumps and tubing in hemodialysis machines remove blood from the patient, deliver it to semipermeable dialysis membranes where the filtering occurs and then return it to the patient. Dialysis membranes are commonly manufactured using polysulfone. The contact of patient blood to these artificial surfaces, including the polysulfone dialysis membranes activates the clotting system as well as the immune system. As a result, patients with end-stage kidney diseases suffer from chronic inflammation and require regular blood thinners that increase the risk of bleeding complications.

About Arch Biopartners

Arch Biopartners is a portfolio based biotechnology company established to develop new products and technology for unmet medical needs. The Company's portfolio includes MetaMx, which targets brain tumor initiating cells; ABP569, a new treatment for respiratory Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections; and, Metablok, a treatment for sepsis and cancer metastasis.

For more information on the Company, please consult the other public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

The Company has 53,189,679 common shares outstanding.

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